The subject of this provisional patent application relates generally to automotive tools, and more particularly to wheel lock bolt removal tools configured for removing a high-security wheel lock bolt with spinning ring from a vehicle wheel.
The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Applicant hereby incorporates herein by reference any and all patents and published patent applications cited or referred to in this application, to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
By way of background, on many high end automobiles such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, and other makes and models, the wheels, or sometimes referred to as “rims,” are installed on the vehicle using high security wheel lock bolts having spinning rings, which can only be loosened or removed with a particular keyed wheel lock socket. Often, over time the wheel lock is stuck or cannot be loosened or removed because its driving or mating surfaces have been stripped or rounded or the keyed wheel lock socket is broken or missing. As such, some other means for removal is required in order to ultimately be able to remove the wheel for a variety of maintenance or repair tasks on the automobile.
Presently, in the art there is not a convenient or effective way to loosen or remove stuck wheel lock bolts. Some types of wheel lock bolts can have an aggressive grabbing socket pounded on the bolt head, which can then be broken loose with a breaker bar, but not so with high security wheel lock bolts with spinning rings. Instead, resort has been had to such measures as welding a large blob of metal on the bolt head on which a socket could then be pounded for removal or grinding away the spinning ring and portions of the bolt head and then pounding on a socket for breaking the bolt loose, often leading to damage to the wheel requiring refinishing or even replacement. As such, removal of the stuck wheel lock bolt and then the wheel can be a very difficult and time consuming job and often even very expensive when damage to the wheel is caused in the process. Thus, what is still needed and has heretofore been unavailable is a means for relatively quickly and easily removing even stripped or damaged high security wheel lock bolts with spinning rings without the need of a key and without damage to the wheel.
Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.